


The Black Shadow of the UnderNet

by ikesenmotonari



Category: Rockman.EXE | Mega Man Battle Network
Genre: Abandonment, Angst, Father-Son Relationship, Future, Gen, Manga & Anime, Memory Loss, Mild Language, One Shot, Science Fiction, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 15:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19833409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikesenmotonari/pseuds/ikesenmotonari
Summary: The lower level of the Net is home to frightening denizens with dark secrets.Bass is one of them.The lone vagabond recalls his past, wondering if it had strangled his mind from embracing the future -- whatever the future is for a Navi like him.





	The Black Shadow of the UnderNet

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one shot I finished at three in the morning last night because I have absolutely no self restraint. Thanks for checking it out!
> 
> Big thanks to Pen, love you, and the MMBN RP server for being a bunch of amazing people. This one's for you.
> 
> This story is meant to be ambiguously placed in time, so it can be during or after the games or manga. 
> 
> I use the names Bass and Cossak because I love the manga. And Cossak is the name of a teacher I knew. Shh, he doesn't know.
> 
> I have a theme! I write a lot of broody loners.

Endless.

Sinister.

Unfathomable.

Those were some of the many words that described the UnderNet. Denizens that called the land their home were suspicious and often deviant, as if their existence was directly influenced by their grim environment. The inky, oppressive abyss that swirled high above was their sky and the dead rock below was their ground. Whomever dared to settle would stay close to Net access points, often forming a small community around it; these squares provided the only sense of togetherness in the entire expanse. 

However, the only sapient program in the area was Bass, the solitary cloaked figure lurking by a rocky cliff. No silhouettes of UnderSquares were seen in the distance, just as he preferred. The Navi rose to his feet and walked.

He ran his hand along the cliff face, unable to feel the dirt and dust through his gloves. Bass was lost in thought as he stepped out from the shadows and into the light, which was provided by the sentinel stars that dotted the void overhead. He usually walked with his gaze focused forward or to the ground, but just then, he looked up at the UnderNet sky. 

Decades ago, Bass gazed in wonder at the galaxies above. "Do you think shooting stars exist on the Net?"

Cossak's face kept blurring and shifting. It was like the memory could barely stand recalling his exact features, but in brief seconds it would show the familiar proud gleam in his eyes and the creases by his smile that lifted his cheeks.

"I'd say so," the scientist mused, turning his attention back to whatever work lay in front of him. He wiped his glasses, the hologram flickering steadily. "The Net mirrors the known universe."

Bass smirked. "Does it?" He motioned to the rocky, unattractive terrain. "I imagined at least a single tree entity or even a flower. _Something_ alive."

"Well --" Cossak faltered. "It's not entirely finished yet! Everything is still in prototype stage. Besides, you are the most _alive_ being in the Net, Bass."

"... Sure. That explains why your colleagues treat me like crap, then."

"Where did you learn that word?" 

"Heard one of 'em say it." Bass scanned his memory files. "Something about a really bad show."

"Bass… believe me, people are just… they're just wary of you, but they will grow to love you. You're as human as a human can get."

Bass remembered vividly how he rolled his eyes, for he felt the urge to do it again. "So, humans are scared of me because I'm like one of them." He kicked a loose rock, mumbling complaints under his breath. "What a bunch of cowards. I can't understand them."

"Bass." The scientist frowned. The fog that disfigured his face cleared a little, showing the seriousness in his jade-coloured gaze. "You don't mean that. You've just been under a lot of stress lately."

The Navi scoffed, "Are you talking to me, or yourself?"

Cossak started and opened his mouth, then closed it. His expression softened and he shook his head. "You're _incredibly_ smart, and you learn quickly. You're already way ahead of your time, and that… that is why people are scared. They don't understand you. Not yet. I'm working hard on a program that can win them over."

Bass blinked. He turned away with a huff. "You're optimistic, doctor."

But at the time, he believed his creator spoke the truth. Bass thought that with enough trust, the other scientists would accept him.

They didn't.

The memory melted into a darker one, Cossak's friendly profile twisting in agony before it faded away. A familiar searing pain in Bass's chest returned and he found himself surrounded by the rotting digital carcasses of enemies whom he once thought were allies. They were incompetent as always; Bass tore them to pieces without giving their cruel NetOperators a chance to think. A horrible mix of emotions bubbling in his gut made him feel sick. He pulled a dark cloak off one of the fallen Navis and threw it over his scarred body, ashamed and angry at the mess of a world around him.

They betrayed him. Every single stupid, frightened human that was supposed to support him turned against him, and even Cossak… _Cossak_ wasn't there! Why didn't he stop them?

That horrible, ugly emotion -- was it despair he felt that day? He couldn't remember how awful that feeling was.

Bass wandered the UnderNet for years. Ever since the incident, he bitterly promised himself that he must maintain his superior strength. Without it, he’d be another Navi destined for deletion. So, his power multiplied and his rivalries grew intense before they matured and moved on. Perhaps these rivals were the closest people Bass could consider as friends, but he didn't dwell on their bonds if they were there. He was left behind, like always. He kept moving.

He died, he came back, and he died again but never stayed dead. He felt nothing anymore. Him, a living being? What a joke.

For _decades_ he roamed the growing expanse of the UnderNet, becoming desolate and empty just like it. One day, he thought, he would have no more desire to keep roaming this pathetic wasteland. He could disappear and never return, leaving his legacy up to the observing stars.

Bass drifted to the top of the cliff and stood there. He regarded the ground below with scrutiny, the Navi's cold ruby eyes blazing in the darkness.

He waited for a new challenge or an old one to come back for a long-awaited rematch. There was no use in lamenting his past; none of that could change. His goals hadn't changed either -- he still wanted immeasurable power and a good fight to hone his skills. This simple ambition kept him going.

Endless.

Sinister.

Unfathomable.

Tortured. _Empty_. 

Whatever he was, dead or alive, he was Bass. And he was alone.


End file.
